Early whale ancestors walked on land when they roamed the Earth 50 million years ago and new photos reveal the modern-day animals still bear a trait from the ancient creatures – finger-like appendages.
Underneath the inter-digital flesh of a whale’s flipper are five ‘fingers’ or the pentadactyl limb, which is found in humans, amphibians and a range of other animals, and demonstrates a shared common ancestor.
Dr Mark D Scherz, assistant professor of vertebrate zoology & curator of herpetology at Statens Naturhistoriske Museum in Demark, dissected a beak whale earlier this month and pulled away the flesh to reveal the bizarre appendages.
Speaking to IFL Science, Scherz said: ‘Flippers have evolved repeatedly in various lineages of mammals and reptiles, each time in a different way; the fundamental structure is the pentadactyl limb, but the specific structure [of the limbs] differ very strongly.’
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Underneath the inter-digital flesh of a whale’s flipper are five ‘fingers’ or the pentadactyl limb, which is found in humans, amphibians and a range of other animals, and demonstrates a shared common ancestor.
Whales are descendants of a stocky, fox-sized animal with an elongated body and tail, which experts have likened to that of a mini deer.
This ancient creature roamed the land and hunted for food in the water until it went fully aquatic.
And although whales traded their arms in for flippers, there is still evidence they once existed.
Scherz also shared an image of what is underneath the red, pinkish colored flesh – five bony fingers.
An image of what is underneath the red, pinkish colored flesh – five bony fingers.
Dr Mark D Scherz, assistant professor of vertebrate zoology & curator of herpetology at Statens Naturhistoriske Museum in Demark, dissected a beak whale (stock) earlier this month and pulled away the flesh to reveal the bizarre appendages
'I must give credit to Mikkel Høegh Post, who prepared the flipper in this manner! Awesome to see
